Riding the Bike

When I tell people I ride a “scooter”, they usually think of this:



When what I ride is this:



Not quite the same thing, eh?

A “scooter” is simply another form of a motorcycle, not particularly any more different from a standard cruiser style than a “lean forward” crotch rocket sport bike is.  Scooters are usually on the lower end of the power spectrum — the smaller ones are intended for in-city commutes, mostly — and they have a floorboard, so you usually sit upright.  Most scooters are also automatic transmission, and they usually have under-seat storage.

Mine is a Kymco Downtown 300i — at 300 cc, one of the more powerful scooters.  (Kymco is a Taiwanese company.  They also make engine parts for Vespa and BMW.) I have had this one for a little over a year (since April 2011), replacing my previous Kymco People S 125 which I had ridden for the previous 3 years.  When I upgraded to the Downtown, I stuck with a brand I knew and trusted.

When people hear that I ride a “scooter”, they picture me putt-putting along at 25 mph on city streets, doing short trips of a couple miles max.

In 15 months, I have put just short of 10,000 miles on my Downtown, with over 15,000 miles on the People S before it.  It is my primary commute vehicle — my only vehicle until the car gets some cooling system repairs — 5 miles each way including segments on the freeway, in traffic.  I ride year round, in everything from sun to pouring rain; only the threat of snow keeps me off it.

(Oh, and thunderstorms.  Lightning and motorcycles don’t seem to be a smart mix.  We usually have none of these a year in Seattle, but the morning after I wrote this post, we had our fourth one in two weeks.  And I delayed going into work until it passed.)

I have ridden my Downtown on hours-long trips to Portland, Vancouver, and Richland — the last being 4 hours each way with a rest break (which is where that pic was taken), including a mountain pass — at highway speeds, topping it out at 90 mph.  (Shh, don’t tell the cops.)  With the trunk, the space under the seat, and a bag strapped behind me, I can carry enough luggage (including my leathers) for a long weekend trip.  I can also carry my inflatable kayak (uninflated, of course) on it.  Or a dog cage suitable for puppy play.

I get as high at 74 mpg in cool weather.  I can almost always find a parking space, and parking in the downtown garages is just $5 for the day, usually with a space for me on the first level of the garage.  And insurance is $100 for the entire year.

So please feel free to sneer a little when you hear I ride a “scooter”.  I’ll do the same when I hear you complain about gas and parking and insurance prices for your car, or when I see you get your own motorcycle out only on the sunny days in Seattle (all 14 of them each year).  Even a “scooter” motorcycle beats one that doesn’t get ridden or one that doesn’t even exist.

Oh, and I’ll see you at Folsom in September.  I plan to ride down, over 800 miles each way.  On my “scooter”. 

Folsom Street Fair 2011: Monday

Also know as “Recovery Day”.  Because boy do we need it.  You can’t catch an evening flight after something like Folsom, because you end up missing some of the events.  And you can’t catch an early morning flight, because then you have to leave the evening parties too soon and be totally wasted as well.  So I have the reverse issue: I have a full day to kill, with an 8:30 pm flight (which means I don’t get home home until about midnight.  Yawn.)

Graves and I had breakfast at Mel’s Drive-In (same building as the Opal Hotel), and then checked out.  After stashing our luggage with the front desk, we caught the bus down to Mission and then visited Raging Stallion for Graves’ meeting with Kent Taylor.  We also got a small tour of the place, including the upstairs filming area, where they were painting the floors and prepping a set for a movie Tony Buff will be doing for them.  Something with a post-industrial torn-up look — industrial equipment, car parts, etc.  It will be interesting to see what comes out of that.

We also got to see the box covers for Tony’s new videos, Institutional Encounters and the upcoming Indecent Encounters.  One of Graves’ photos is being used for the main image on the later.

We caught some coffee, and then Graves headed off to Oakland to meet a friend and catch his flight home (around 5:00).  I went back to the Castro.

Had a crabcake sandwich lunch at Caffe Luna Piena.  Bought Christmas gifts for Cliff and Ruby at Under One Roof.  Then back to Starbucks (I told you, bow to SODO) for WiFi and more coffee before heading back to the hotel myself.  Uneventful trip to the airport, with dinner being a corned beef reuben from Max’s Deli at the gate.

And thus was Folsom survived.

But was it better than in the 90s?  Or even different?  On the basest level, no, not really.  The weather this year made it calmer, but it’s still a huge press of leathered flesh, lots of lines, a decent amount of spectacle, plenty of drug use (like the the couple who hit me up on AssPig, wanting to do glove-free fisting on Ecstasy), and not enough bang for my buck.  (Thank God for organized, sane, and stable play parties like Hell Hole and Tom’s, or it wouldn’t have been a good sex weekend for me, either.)

Ultimately, I will continue to use the same line about Folsom that I have for the past decade: “Everyone should go to Folsom twice — the second time to realize that you enjoyed it a whole lot more the first time.”  (I use a similar line about International Mr. Leather, for pretty much the same reasons — “…the second time to really empty your wallet”, in reference to the huge vendor market at IML —.  I go to Mid-Atlantic Leather each year instead (here’s a past trip report), and in parallel, the smaller Dore Alley weekend is more of what I like about Folsom and less of what I don’t.)  I’m sure I’ll get back to Folsom someday — if I win International next year, for example — but I’m not in any rush.

Folsom Street Fair 2011: Sunday

Sunday morning came too early, and drizzly.  I’m from Seattle, but totally not my fault.

International LeatherSIR 2010 Hugh had advised me to go to the Folsom brunch hosted by Empress XXX Donna Sachet and International Mr. Leather 1992 Lenny Broberg, so Graves and I caught the MUNI to the Castro, got coffee and cash, and traipsed up the hill to 21st and Castro.  (And we’re talking HILL here.  Ugh.)  We ran into International Community Bootblack 2011 Luna on the way, who was trying to find the brunch.

Lenny’s note to Hugh had said we would know the house when we got there, and yes, the leather flag-colored streamers did cue us in.  It was a great little brunch, met a number of the titleholders who were present, not to mention a number of guys whom I lightly remembered from when I lived in the Bay Area.

We needed to be at the 12th Street Stage by 12:40, so Graves and I left with Mr. Bullet Leather Joey (cutie!) and his photographer buddy Jay.  Stopped for more coffee (hey, I’m from Seattle, bow toward SODO five times a day!) for me and 5-Hour Energy drinks for them, then hopped the F Line to Van Ness.  Got to the staging area with just a few minutes to spare.

Our Northwest Community Bootblack 2012 titleholder Ruin was also there, with her partner.  She was relieved to see me, to have someone else she knew there.  Curiously, Ruin, Luna, and I were the only LeatherSIR (et al) people there for the titleholders presentation.  But Ruin and I weren’t the baby titleholders on the block any more, as Mr. Connecticut Leather was there, having stepped up just last week.

I also got to meet the Alameda County Leather Corps titleholders, Kate and Curren.  I’m an auxiliary member of ACLC.  It was my first club, back in 1999; I joined at the same time as past International Bootblack Andrew “Bootdog” Johnson and past American Leatherwoman Joan Nory, so there was something in the Hayward water that year.

An hour later was the Mama’s Family photo at the Powerhouse.  (I am “Mama’s Rubber Cowboy”.)  After that, I headed back to the hotel for a costume change, to get rid of the sash and the leather pants and shirt, into something lighter and cruisier (chaps, jock, vest with no shirt).  The sun came out solidly by about 3 pm, which was a relief, making for a nice, warmer afternoon.  I lost track of Joey and Graves and Ruin after the titleholder presentation, but I got to have some short chats later in the day with both Donna Sachet and Lenny Broberg, separately.  Lenny said he may be coming up to Seattle for the WSMLO contest in March; this is his IML 20th anniversary year.  I also saw Mitch and Brian again, and Paul and Cole, and bootblack Paul and past Northwest Community Bootblack Scout, among a handful of other people I know.  Also: my ex, John; Arami and Washington State Mr. Leather James; Tony Buff at the Raging Stallion booth; Element and Kyle again, with Element in those killer silver boots.  Relatively few of the Seattle crew, surprisingly; I know a lot were down, but I hardly saw any of them.  Different circles, maybe.

I succumbed to some jambalaya at about 5 pm, and the Fair shut down at 6 pm.  I headed back to the hotel for a brief nap, and later wen back to the Castro for Tom’s fisting party.  He has a very nice set up, although the step ladder to the attic space was a bit rickety for my tastes, so I played mostly downstairs.  Thanks to Janeer, Tony, Eric, Raj, Nigel, and a couple other guys for some good play, and especially thanks to Tom for opening up his home for us!

Folsom Street Fair 2011: Saturday

There’s always something you forget when packing for a trip.  This time, it was earplugs and my septum jewelry.  Old hotels like the Opal have thin walls and noisy plumbing, so after about 8:30 am, little further sleep was forthcoming due to the noisy shower next door.  As for the septum jewelry, I don’t wear it during the week for work, and it has been on a shelf up above eye level in the bathroom, so I saw it but forgot to put it in.  Sigh.  (Did that for the contest weekend as well, only remembering to put it in for the brunch on Sunday.)

Continental breakfast at the hotel — toast, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs (which is kind of cool), OJ, and coffee.  Kept it light, for the potential for play later today.

I’m room-sharing (and bed-sharing; it’s a king) with Graves from Seattle, who has been doing a bunch of leather photography in recent years.  We joked that I get my own paparazzi for the weekend.  Graves has an appointment later at Raging Stallion, to do porn set photography for them.  If it can work out, I’m going to try to tag along with him.  I’m a big fan of their FistPack videos, and although I’ll never likely get to do one myself (professionally, anyway; I video some private scenes), the chance to see the back end (ahem) would be cool.  (Alas, we couldn’t synch this up for Saturday.)

Came down to the Castro at lunch time.  The naked boys are out in force at Castro & Market, to the delight of picture takers.  Stopped in at Cicatrix Tattoo & Piercing (where Gauntlet used to be; I had my PA done there in 2001) and got a septum ring — black ring with a silver captive bead.  Looks cool.

More shopping: Chaps (formerly Jaguar Books) for some lube and inhalants.  Whatever… Comics for some 50% off comics collections (aww yeah, Pet Avengers!) and a Lightning Lad figurine.  Succumbed to a slice at Escape from New York Pizza.  Worn Out West for a chain collar, in case I need one this weekend.  (Never know!)  Then a couple beers at 440 Castro, where Graves arrived and then one of my FF buddies Jose (who has the most fantastic deep ass, but I digress…).  I started yawning, though, so headed back to the hotel for nap and then dinner at Thai Stick.

Saturday night reminded me of why I’ve always disliked Folsom weekend: lines everywhere, too many people, and none of them wanting to fuck me (or at least not wanting to commit to it; there’s always someone prettier/hunkier across the room, you know?).  In fact, a couple years when I lived in the Bay Area and didn’t have the San Diego Gay Rodeo that weekend, I didn’t even go out on Folsom Saturday.  Why bother with the parking, the lines, and not getting laid?

I got the the Powerhouse at about 9:45, and the line moved okay.  I got to meet IML Eric Gutierrez and several of the IML contestants from this year.  But as noted, way packed. Headed over to the Lonestar, but saw there was a 30 minute line (at least), so chatted with some guys (Matthis, Shawn, and Dan), and then headed to Kok.  Short line there, maybe 10 minutes, and fortunately more leather than on Friday night.

I did connect with someone there.  The pec punching was good, but I can now cross two more fetish acts off my “done it once, that’s enough” list: concentration camp roleplay and knock out play. (As in “come to on the floor, twitching”.  Nope, thanks, like the knife running along my dick that time at IML, once is plenty.)

Folsom Street Fair 2011: Friday

Ugh, 4:30 comes way too early.  I hate getting up before the sun to get to an airport.  The coffee I need to just move that far then keeps me from sleeping on the plane.  Oh well, I got the Preview part of the trip report written on the plane.  (On the new iPad I got yesterday, with the indispensable — for writing — Bluetooth keyboard.  Way less to tote that the netbook.  Note to self, though: I spent way too much time setting it up yesterday than I should have.  Don’t get new tech the day before a trip!)

Staying at the Opal Hotel (Van Ness and Geary).  I know how hard to get and expensive hotel rooms can be in San Francisco for Folsom weekend, and this is just over a mile from 9th & Folsom (so it’s walkable).  At $166 a night, I snapped it up when it came available a couple weeks ago, and prepaid for a discount (which essentially took care of the hotel tax).

Got to the hotel at 11 am, but couldn’t check in yet.  So I ditched my bags and headed to Mr. S.  Saw Mitch and Brian from Vancouver walking on the street, and Earl from Vancouver online, and at Mr. S, Paul from Seattle was there (Cole wouldn’t arrive until Friday night).  Turns out Paul was on my flight, and I saw him at the baggage claim, but he was too dazed from lack of sleep to know it was me at the airport.  Saw Kyle and Northwest Leatherboy 2011 Element later, putting up posters for Element’s new video.

$230 dollars later, I was able to escape Mr. S.  (One StreemMaster, because I’ve apparently lost my previous one, god knows where.  One leather cap, handmade at Mr. S, which I quite like and will end up wearing all over town for the rest of the weekend.  One neoprene red-stripe jock, which I’ll also get some good use out of this weekend, I’m sure!  And a new pair of red boot laces, because my current ones are getting dingy — due to both age and bootblack hands.)

After too-short of a nap, I met up with Michael from Recon, who I’ll be playing with next weekend when he is in Seattle.  Daddy David has been sending me fisting boys lately; I need to start paying him a commission!

Got an offer for play with Frank from New York at his hotel, so I headed over there for some cocksucking, nipple play, and fisting.  A nice warmup for later on.

Dinner was coffee and a slice of pumpkin bread.  That’s how it goes when you’ve got a fisting party to attend.  (Food all day: a bagel, a pear, a small OJ, a soy/almond smoothie, and several cups of coffee.)  Want as little solid stuff going through the system as possible.  I can eat tomorrow.  (I lie: I’ll probably do this all weekend long!)

Friday night was the Hell Hole/Fists Over Folsom party.  Probably 20 slings and a good size (but not too packed crowd).  Had a great time, some in the sling and some in front of it.  Chatted with one of the former Northern California LeatherSIR titleholders who was there about the fact that I was there in the title vest.  (He approved.)  Thanks to Murray from New Zealand, François from the Netherlands, and Nick, Norm, and one other guy whose name I’m blanking on (all from the States) for good times; Raj will just have to wait for later (maybe Sunday) at Tom’s party. 

Folsom Street Fair 2011: Preview

I lived in the Bay Area during the 1990s.  I’ve attended the Folsom Street Fair probably seven or eight times.  The first time (1991) was as a member of the San Jose Spurs dance team, staffing a booth selling temporary tattoos.  (That seems very odd today.  I don’t recall seeing such a booth from anyone after about 1993.)

After that year, Folsom and the San Diego Gay Rodeo vied for my attention.  At the time, the rodeo was always the last weekend of September, and Folsom Street Fair was always the 4th Sunday of the month, which meant that the two would conflict roughly every three years.  One year, I took a morning flight back from San Diego to be able to also do Folsom, but I both had to cut short my Saturday night in San Diego and got to Folsom late, so what was the point?  Eventually Folsom’s organizers apparently decided that it was too confusing for people to track the dates and switched to always be the last Sunday, so it was always in conflict with the rodeo.  Bummer.

One year (1998?), I even had a vending booth at Folsom, for my fetish t-shirts.  Oy, that was an adventure.  First time in Folsom history that it rained, I was told.  And I realized that the guys attending by and large didn’t want to buy anything (and have to carry a bag around), and they even less wanted to buy something that would cover up their gym-pumped bodies.  So the booth (plus insurance) was expensive (about the same as the full weekend vendor space at IML!), and I didn't sell a lot of t-shirts, and most of the guys who came into the booth were just getting out of the rain (except for the small crew who stopped in to get out of the rain and pop some GHB or other party drugs).

After I moved to Seattle in late 2000, I never got back for Folsom.  I go down every year for Sundance Stompede in October, and dealing with two trips to San Francisco in close proximity just doesn’t make sense.  I did get down for Dore Alley once, and International Bear Rendezvous a couple times, plus a few trips for work (working for companies with San Francisco, San Jose, or peninsula offices makes that easy).  This, then, is my first trip to Folsom in over a decade.  It will be interesting to see how it has changed.

Of course, I’ve changed a lot as well.  I’m in my 40s now, where my earlier experiences were in my late 20s and early 30s.  This time, I’m attending as a titleholder, which means I will have a few specific events to attend, and I will be looking at the proceedings with a different eye.  (I long ago realized that I enjoy events a lot more if I have a task or assignment attached.  Just having to be at the 12th Street Stage for the Titleholder Roll Call at 12:40 on Sunday gives me some focus and means I won’t be wandering around aimlessly, wondering whether I should drink, cruise, or just go nap.)

(I should cruise, obviously.)

In many ways, thus, this Folsom may be a fresh and new experience for me.  Or maybe it won’t, maybe it will be pretty much just what I remember, just with new faces and new pecs and plenty of attitude.  We shall see…